A bittersweet victory at the Milano Cortina Winter Games marked a monumental moment for American skiing. In what was Team USA’s first gold medal of the games, Breezy Johnson clinched the win in the women’s downhill, a race she dominated from start to finish.
Johnson, 30 years old and now the second woman ever to claim an Olympic gold medal in downhill, took her place as the sixth American skier down the Olympia delle Tofana course. The day was sunny and perfect for racing on this iconic slope, which became home to Johnson’s triumph when she completed the course in a time of 1:36.10.
Her success came with mixed emotions – while jubilant at her achievement, Johnson still couldn’t quite grasp what had just happened. “I had a good feeling about today,” she said, her voice filled with emotion as she received her gold medal and the national anthem was played.
For Team USA, Johnson’s gold was not an isolated achievement. Emma Aicher of Germany and Sofia Goggia of Italy rounded out the podium positions.
Lindsey Vonn, a fellow American skier who had been heavily favored for gold, crashed during her run. The crash occurred just 13.4 seconds into the competition when she lost control over the course’s opening traverse after taking an unwarranted tight turn.
The severity of her accident was palpable; it was evident as Vonn screamed in pain and chaos surrounded her as medical personnel rushed to aid her. Team USA described how Vonn was airlifted from the mountain, a common practice for dealing with injuries during alpine competitions.
Vonn’s situation left her team members deeply moved. “I hope it’s not as bad as it looked,” Johnson said. “Sometimes when you crash on this course and it hurts that much, you feel worse about it.” She added, “My heart goes out to her.”
Across from the podium, Team USA’s other skiers – Jacqueline Wiles and Isabella Wright – finished in fifth place and twenty-first respectively.
Vonn’s accident highlighted not only the intensity of the competition but also the high stakes involved in skiing. It marked a tragic end to what had been Vonn’s remarkable career before her injury. For Johnson, who returned from an Olympic ban that ended in 2024 due to missed doping tests, this gold medal felt especially sweet.
The Associated Press and Haley Ott contributed to this report of the Winter Games’ thrilling conclusion.